I was gifted a nice growler from Portland Growler Company and am very excited to use it. Many breweries around here will not fill growlers that you do not purchase from them. As most of you know, the growlers provided by the breweries are glass with a screw top that they may or may not tape or seal. I feel like I would get a much better seal from my new growler that has a locking flip top resulting in fresher beer. This may be a stupid question, but science was never my strongest subject. Would transferring beer from the glass growler to the PGC Growler ruin the beer and if not would it really make much of a difference in the life and quality of the beer? If i cant get much use out of my PGC Growler I may have to wait until i start kegging my home brew and use it to bring to parties etc.
Growler beer is only good for a few days unless you are talking counter pressure sealed growlers. Opening and transferring a growler into your own growler is certainly not going to do anything to prolong its life or quality. As far as I am aware, the swing top style doesn't do much more for preservation than a regular screw cap. I could be wrong on this, but it's what I have been told.
From my experience, once you pop the top on the first growler it's only a couple of hours or so till it goes flat. Just leave it in the first one.
I have heard the same, the only thing i have noticed about flip tops is they have less of a tendency to leak.
agree- any benefit from transferring to a tighter sealing growler will be outweighed by loss in carbonation and oxidation in doing so. Just drink up.
I've never used a screw top, but my swing top holds carbonation unopened for at least 2 weeks (never tried past that). But I agree you'd lose so much in the transfer that its not worth it.
You will lose some carbonation, but not much. I think the swing tops hold better, and if metal or plastic, not as breakable. Try it out with some schwag, Budweiser or something. Pop some cans, fill the glass growler. Taste. Dump half of glass growler in swing top, then taste a bit. Is there any loss? Store over night and taste both? Is one worse than the other? Just my thought on your question.
If you brew, use the swingtop to bottle. I've started doing this and it works out great for all of my extra, swingtop growlers. Transferring would definitely kill your carbonation fairly quickly.
Are you sure that your local breweries wouldn't be willing to fill your growler? As long as its apparent that it's a standard size. It's worth a try at least.
That's an incorrect statement. If filled properly and not opened, a tap filled growler that is properly sealed will last years if you want it to. I've had many growlers last a year plus including Bigfoot, Storm King and I currently have growlers left in my fridge from 2013 BCBS that still drink perfectly with excellent carbonation. Once you open one though, you really have a day or so to finish it. Once air hits the beer, it's all over from there.
